Allegiance
by XGrinXReaperX
Summary: In modern times, Zuko has to choose between the life he knows, and the life that could be his. He will learn the hard way that life isn't always easy, and friends aren't always what they seem. But as he lives with the consequences of his decision, he wonders if things can ever be as they were before.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: So this is my first multi-chapter story…hopefully it turns out okay :) Comments/suggestions welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

Zuko propped his head on his hand and sighed as he listened to his teacher's squeaky, over-enthusiastic voice. He was in his least favorite class: Chemistry. As he watched his instructor pace back and forth across the room, he found himself staring at the wispy white hair that covered the sides of his teacher's head, and hung from his chin. The top of his head was bald, and the strange hairstyle certainly matched his strange personality. As he strode past Zuko's desk, his name tag, which read "Bumi", bounced up and down spastically.

"And that, class, is why you never leave home without a paperclip!" Bumi cackled, a wild gleam in his eyes.

Zuko rolled his eyes; his Chemistry teacher had a bad habit of getting sidetracked, and would usually take half of class time to tell a single story. But he really didn't mind too much, because the more time his teacher used to tell his ridiculous stories, the less time the students had to spend doing work. He looked up at the clock, and was relieved to see that there were only 30 seconds left of class. After grabbing his books, he shoved them into his black backpack and scooted to the edge of his seat. The bell rang, and he nearly leaped out his seat to get to the door. There were a few mutters of annoyance as he pushed past his fellow juniors, but he couldn't care less. He had planned to meet his girlfriend after school, and as he neared their rendezvous point, he could feel a small smile lifting the corners of his mouth. There weren't many things in his life that made Zuko smile, but Mai was one of them. As he walked out of the doors and into the cool autumn breeze, he could see her leaning against one of the pillars that supported the main entrance to Reiko Academy.

"Hey, handsome," she smiled and kissed his cheek.

"Hey," he said and grinned as she grabbed his hand and laced their fingers together. With every passing day, he couldn't believe that Mai was his girlfriend. He could never seem to figure out what she saw in him, but he hoped she would never change her mind. They turned and started walking down the stairs that led up to the entrance of the school, but both stopped abruptly when they heard a loud voice behind them.

"Where are you going, Zuzu? Surely you weren't planning to just leave us behind!" Azula's words made him clench his jaw in annoyance. He hated being called that.

He turned to see his sister sauntering towards him and Mai, with Ty Lee a little ways behind her. The perky, bubbly girl was wearing her cheerleading outfit, since Azula had just picked her up after practice. She was the captain of the cheerleading team, and she loved to show off her status by wearing her red, black, and gold ensemble whenever she got the chance. She caught Zuko's eye and winked at him, flashing him a smile of dazzling white. He sighed; Ty Lee was an incurable flirt, and she would mess with every boy that came within a mile radius of her irresistible charm.

"What do you want, Azula?" he asked his sister, his voice irritable.

She smiled at him, knowing perfectly well that she was getting on his nerves.

"You and Mai are going to Uncle's tea shop, right? We thought we could tag along," Azula motioned to her and Ty Lee, her sharpened fingernails glinting with their usual polish.

Zuko opened his mouth to snap a reply, but before he could speak, Mai calmly replied to his sister, "That sounds fun, but Zuko and I want to spend some time together for a while. Just the two of us."

Azula's mouth twitched, no doubt in an effort to hide a frown. "Very well. We'll see you tomorrow, then," she countered brusquely, then stalked off back into the school with Ty Lee shadowing her.

Letting out a breath he didn't even realize he was holding, Zuko gently squeezed Mai's hand and they stepped down the remainder of stairs, before heading down the sidewalk toward Iroh's tea shop.

"That was close," he exclaimed, relieved that Azula and Ty Lee hadn't joined them.

"Too close. Did you see that look Azula gave us? If looks could kill, we'd be cold, dead bodies by now."

Zuko smirked and almost laughed out loud. "You have an interesting sense of humor."

Mai looked up at him and smiled mischievously, her dark eyes glittering. "You know you love it."

"Yes. I do love it," he murmured as he brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed the back of it.

"What's this? _Zuko_, being romantic?" she giggled.

He smiled and rolled his eyes, happiness welling up inside of him. He and Mai had been dating for almost a year, and their relationship was only getting stronger. After watching each other from a distance all their lives, they had finally decided to get together. Everyone knew that they liked each other, and had constantly nagged both of them about it since the first grade. It worked, and now they were probably one of the happiest couples in Reiko Academy.

They crossed the street and walked into the Jasmine Dragon, selecting a table close to the front of the shop. The air smelled heavily of the spices, which were used to create the finest tea in the entire city. A waiter approached the table, and asked what each of them would like to drink.

"I'll have a cup of Ginseng tea," Zuko decided.

Mai looked up at the waiter and murmured, "I'll have the same."

The waiter nodded and headed to the kitchen, where various cooking utensils could be heard clanging together. Zuko and Mai started some small talk, but soon they were engrossed in a conversation about the latest action movies coming out. Outside, the sky slowly turned a light shade of purple, signaling that it was dusk. The shop would be closing soon, but the couple didn't mind; all that mattered was each other's company, as they chatted the night away.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: So the first chapter turned out a little longer than was expected…oh well. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, so I'll keep going with this story and see what happens. Just as a heads-up, the Gaang will be introduced in this chapter. As always, comments/suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Thank you so much for reading! :)**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender of any of its characters.**

The sky was dark by the time Zuko arrived home, and as he walked up the sidewalk to the front door, the first stars of the night were twinkling in the atmosphere. He pulled his house keys out of the back pocket on his dark jeans, and pushed them into the slot. He turned the doorknob and stepped into the warm, welcoming entryway of his uncle's house. The walls were a deep red, and the house was filled with a large assortment of antique tables, chairs, and shelves. The hardwood floors were covered in various spots with large, oriental rugs that displayed the old-fashioned tastes of Zuko's uncle.

Zuko set his backpack down on the floor, then plopped down onto the couch with a huff. Iroh was out shopping for some new decorations for Christmas, which was a little over a month away. He would be home in about an hour, so his nephew had some time to kill. Zuko grabbed the remote from the table beside the sofa, and surfed through the channels. There were numerous soap operas on, and a few older movies, including Wizard of Oz and Gone with the Wind. He continued to flip channels, and he came across a wrestling program called the Earth Rumble Tournaments. A large man, muscular man with a trimmed beard was flexing his muscles, and shouting, "The Boulder is going to win this in a landslide!" Uninterested, Zuko kept surfing channels until he finally settled on Jaws. After about 15 minutes, he started to feel his eyelids grow heavy and his head started to droop. He fought sleep for a few moments, before he eventually slumped over onto his side and let his arm hang over the side of the couch. His shaggy black hair fell into his face, and he was asleep in a matter of seconds.

"Aww man!" Sokka's whining echoed throughout the bowling alley as his ball rolled into the gutter. "This game is rigged!"

"Sokka, how exactly would someone rig bowling?" Katara asked him, her eyebrows raised in skepticism. She was sitting at a circular table loaded with pizza and soda, with Aang and Toph sitting next to her. Aang and Toph were hiding their mouths behind their hands, in an attempt to hide the smirks the covered their faces.

Sokka contemplated his sister's question for a moment, before replying, "I don't know, but they must have found a way!" He stomped over to his seat and threw himself into his chair. His bottom lip stuck out, and his arms were crossed like a child throwing a tantrum.

Katara rolled her eyes, before getting up and grabbing her hot pink bowling ball from the rack. She stepped up to the edge of the bowling lane, then held up the ball and aimed it toward the pins. She narrowed her bright blue eyes and swung the ball down the middle of the lane, hitting a perfect strike.

"Yes!" she exclaimed, smiling with satisfaction. She headed back to the table and took a swig of her Cherry Coke.

"Great hit, Katara!" Aang beamed at her.

Toph mumbled through the pizza in her mouth, "I know a strike when I hear one!"

"Yeah, it was scary good," Katara giggled.

Sokka stuck his tongue out at her, and everyone laughed at his jealous act. He remained sullen for a few seconds, but eventually he broke out into a smile.

"Speaking of scary, have you guys seen Zuko lately?" Sokka questioned. "His hair has grown all shaggy, and I swear, he's got a 12 gauge concealed in his locker."

"Haha! 12 gauges don't fit in the lockers," Toph said with a mischievous grin.

Everyone paused and looked at her, and Aang said, "How do you know that?"

Toph said nothing, just continued eating pizza as she wore a contented smile on her face.

"I don't trust Zuko," Katara muttered darkly. "Ever since he-"

"Yeah, yeah, we know!" Sokka interrupted. "He cheated off your test in eighth grade. You've told us countless times."

"But it's not just that, Sokka. He beat you up on the playground in fifth grade just because you accidentally tripped him, remember?" Katara probed him.

Sokka nodded as he took a sip of his Mountain Dew.

"And Aang – didn't he steal your ID card so you couldn't get into the homecoming dance?" Katara interrogated the freshman.

"Y-yeah, but it wasn't that big of a deal. I talked to the principal about it and I was able to get in for free," he replied shyly, not wanting to disagree with Katara, but not totally comfortable with talking bad about Zuko, either.

"So he's done some pretty awful things – it's not like that automatically makes him a bad person!" Toph declared, ripping another piece of pizza from the box and taking a huge bite.

"Easy for you to say, he hasn't done anything to you!" Sokka protested, throwing his hands in the air.

"How do you know? He probably has, I just haven't seen it," Toph replied, sticking out her tongue as she pulled on her lower eyelids.

"R-right," Sokka muttered uncomfortably.

There was a moment of silence for a while as the group filled their stomachs with pepperoni pizza and a wide variety of sodas.

"Mmm," Sokka grinned in approval. "This place's bowling lanes may be rigged, but their pepperoni pizza is awesome! Talk about quality meat!"

Everyone rolled their eyes, but eventually they broke into fits of laughter at Sokka's carnivorous nature. The tan-skinned boy looked perplexed for a moment at their hysterics, but after a moment he shrugged and continued to scarf his meal of bowling alley food.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: So now that we have the Gaang in the story, things can start getting interesting :) I will be adding a new chapter soon, hopefully this weekend. You know the drill: comments/suggestions welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender of any of its characters.**

Zuko was awakened by the sound of his uncle entering the house. He could hear Iroh's feet shuffling along the floor, which no doubt meant he was carrying something heavy in his arms. Zuko groaned inwardly; what had his uncle bought now? Last time, he had come home with a highly disturbing pumpkin with a smile painted on its face that made it look like it knew all your darkest secrets.

"Nephew! Are you home yet?" Iroh hollered from the kitchen.

"Coming!" Zuko replied as he got to his feet. He winced as his neck ached, and he instantly regretted sleeping on the couch. He made his way into the kitchen where his uncle was waiting, and was surprised to see a small Christmas tree sitting on the hardwood floor.

"Hello, Zuko!" Iroh greeted with a wide smile, and threw his arms around his nephew.

"Hey," Zuko replied, hugging him. "Umm…isn't it a little early for a Christmas tree, uncle?"

Iroh let go of him and turned around to face the little green tree. "Nonsense! It's never too early to start preparing for the holiday season," he exclaimed, and his eyes crinkled at the corners when he smiled.

Zuko raised his eyebrows, but murmured, "If you say so."

Iroh patted his nephew on the shoulder before waddling over to the tree. He began examining the sapling, wanting to be sure that the branches would be strong enough to hold a few ornaments.

"We can put this tree in that corner right there," Iroh decided as he pointed to an empty corner of the kitchen, "and we can set up our big Christmas tree in the living room, when we get it."

"Good idea," Zuko agreed. "When will we decorate the tree?" he inquired, motioning toward the small sapling.

Iroh chuckled and declared, "Right now, of course!"

Zuko nodded, then left the room to retrieve the lights and ornaments from the closet upstairs. He walked up the creaky steps to the second floor, then turned the corner and opened the door to the closet. When he entered the room and flicked the light switch on, he was greeted by a cloud of dust that had been collecting since the last time they had used the Christmas decorations. Zuko coughed, then navigated through the haze of dust and grabbed the box containing the lights and ornaments they would use to decorate their tiny tree.

After he arrived back downstairs, Iroh told him, "We're going to make this tree look spectacular!"

Zuko agreed with a grin, "You bet we are."

Iroh opened the lid to the box and grabbed the lights, which were a variety of blue, green, red, yellow, and orange bulbs. He handed the bunch to Zuko, who unraveled the cord little by little as Iroh walked around the tree and stringed the lights.

"There!" Iroh clapped his hands together as he finished. "Let's see how they look."

He leaned down and plugged the cord into the wall, and eagerly looked over at the tree to see how the lights looked. The lights remained off, and Iroh scratched his beard confusedly.

"That's strange…" he muttered as he stared at the lights.

Zuko growled, "We just bought these last year! They should still work."

Frustrated, he stormed over to the wall and yanked the cord out of the outlet, then shoved it back in. Still, the lights remained dark. He sighed heavily, rubbing his face with his hands.

"What a shame," Iroh murmured sadly.

"No kidding," Zuko grumbled. They both stared at the undersized tree for a moment, before Zuko announced, "I'm going to head to the store in town and see if they have any Christmas lights." He huffed and walked toward the front door, annoyance making him grimace.

"Wait, Zuko! Don't forget your coat," Iroh told him with a smile as he rushed to the closet and pulled out his nephew's dark red coat. "You'll freeze to death out there at this time of night."

"Thanks," Zuko murmured with a small smile as he slipped his coat on. "I'll be back in a few!" he called to his uncle as he headed out the door.

Outside, the night air was brisk as he made his way toward the center of town. He zipped up his jacket and shoved his hands in his pockets, attempting to stay warm. As he neared the center of town, there were an increasing number of dark alleys and suspicious members lurking on the edge of the street. Numerous times, he caught hostile eyes watching him as he passed, no doubt trying to decide whether or not he had anything valuable on him. Even for Zuko, this was beginning to get a little freaky. He usually never went this way to get to the store, but since he had been running short on time, and this route was significantly faster than his normal one, he had thought this would be the better option. But he was beginning to regret his decision; as the minutes passed, he felt more and more tense, and got the feeling that he was being watched. In his pocket, his hand kept a firm grip on his cell phone, which he drew a little comfort from. He took it out and pulled the dial screen up, in case he needed to call his uncle or 911 quickly in an emergency. Turning it off and returning it to his pocket, he shivered in the cool fall breeze that blew between the buildings.

As he turned a corner, he heard a sudden swooshing sound and felt a sharp pain in his side. Grunting, he fell to the side and slid down the brick wall of the building next to him. Recovering quickly, he jumped to his feet and turned to face his attacker. Zuko looked into the dark eyes of a boy not much older than himself, with tan skin and shaggy brown hair. He had large, arching eyebrows, which gave him a mischievous appearance. His eyes widened for a moment when he caught a glimpse of Zuko's scar, but promptly resumed their hostile glare.

"Have anything worth my time, punk?" he snarled, nearly spitting the words at Zuko.

Zuko narrowed his eyes and stood as tall as possible, before muttering, "No." Surprisingly, his voice was icily calm, contrary to his thumping heart. It beat so loudly, he was sure the strange boy in front of him could hear it.

"Liar," the boy sneered. He spat on the ground at his feet, before stepping so close to Zuko their noses almost touched. "I saw you using a phone."

Zuko's heart pounded. _No wonder I felt like I was being watched! _He said nothing, just continued to glare at the strange young man in front of him.

The boy's eyes flickered to something past Zuko's head, and he gave a curt nod. Confused, Zuko started to turn around, but was cut short by two other boys grabbing his arms and roughly pinning him to the wall. The air was knocked out of his lungs, and he fought to catch his breath.

"Let me go!" Zuko demanded as he struggled, but the two boys holding him were strong, and he couldn't break free of their iron grips.

"Sure, sure, no problem. Soon as you give me that fancy phone of yours," the boy that appeared to be the leader said smugly.

In a sudden surge of bravery, Zuko challenged, "Try and take it. I dare you."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Sorry for the wait! I left the last chapter on a bit of a cliffhanger…I'm so mean! I will try to update this story as much as I can, which will probably be on weekends. I'm not sure how many chapters this will end up being, so I'm just going with the flow, and we'll see where it ends up. By the way… I'm not sure if you noticed, but I finally started an author's note without the word "so"…..*fist pump*. Comments/suggestions welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

The next moment was a blur, and all Zuko could feel was his heart pounding in his chest, and the rush of adrenaline that surged through his body. Jet swung his fist towards Zuko's jaw, but at the last second, Zuko ducked his head and Jet's fist slammed into the brick wall with a loud _crunch_.

"Ah!" he screamed, and clutched his fist in his other hand.

Zuko used the distraction as a window of opportunity; he leaned forward, and in one swift move, he brought his arms together behind him. The two boys holding his limbs in place crashed into one another with a loud grunt, and the one that had been holding his right arm let go immediately as he fell to the ground. The other held on to Zuko's left arm, attempting to drag him down with them. Zuko snarled and raised his left foot, smashing it into the boy's face, which sent blood spraying in every direction from the teenager's nose. All that blocked him from his escape now was the first boy who had confronted him; he looked at Zuko with a mix of shock and anger in his eyes, as he held his broken fingers. Zuko firmly planted his feet as he prepared to lunge, but paused when he heard the boy mumble something so quietly it was almost a whisper.

"I don't believe it," the teenager mumbled in disbelief. "No one has ever put up a fight before…"

"Yeah? Well, they have now," Zuko snarled, his earlier fear of this boy replaced with hatred. He felt the overwhelming urge to smash his fist into the other's face, but something stopped him.

"_When you feel angry, count to ten….it is better to think your feelings through, before you do something you will regret."_

His uncle had told him this countless times when Zuko was a child, after he had come home from school with a bloody nose as a result of a fight. He took a deep breath, and with one last glare, stalked off down the street toward home. He had gotten no more than a few steps before he heard the boy's voice behind him.

"Wait," he called, slowly walking after Zuko. "We need you."

Taken aback, Zuko stared at him for a moment. "What?"

The boy pointed to his friends, who were lying on the ground, moaning incoherent words. "My gang. We could use a fighter like you." He had the decency to look slightly uncomfortable.

Zuko's mouth fell open a little at this, and he had a hard time forming words. "You can't be serious!" he exclaimed. "You attack me, then you ask me to _join_ you?"

The boy looked at him, a serious expression on his sharp, defined features.

"Look…" he began, watching Zuko carefully. "...I've been on the streets a long time stealing for as long as I can remember, and no one has _ever_ been able to match me and my boys in a fight."

Zuko gazed at him, a hard look in his eyes. "I didn't match you. I beat you."

The boy narrowed his eyes slightly, and murmured, "So join me."

"What could I possibly gain from joining _you_?" Zuko nearly shouted. "I have a home, and friends who love me. I would never give that up to live on the _streets_."

The teenager's jaw clenched, an obvious sign that he found Zuko's words offensive. "So did I. But things change, don't they? And before you know it," he waved his good hand around at the surrounding buildings, "you're out on the streets. Alone."

Zuko huffed and turned away from the boy. "That not going to happen." He walked down the dark road back to his house, but felt a chill go up his spine when he heard the boy's farewell words.

"Don't be so sure."

"We're home, Gran Gran!" Katara called as she and Sokka walked into their home. On their way home from the bowling alley, they had dropped off Aang at his house, and Toph at her very impressive mansion.

"How was bowling?" their grandmother asked, smiling at them as they walked into the house.

"It was awesome!" Sokka shrieked, bouncing about the room like a small child. "And the meat was fantastic!"

Katara rolled her eyes, exasperated. "Is that _all_ you care about? I swear, the only thing you think about is meat. You're such a carnivore."

"But meat is so tasty…" Sokka said with a dreamy look in his eyes.

Gran Gran raised a gray eyebrow at his antics, but there was an amused glint in her eyes. "I'm glad you had fun. But it's late; you two go upstairs and get in bed."

Both the teenagers nodded and trudged up the stairs, exhaustion catching up with them from their late night out.

"Good thing we can sleep in tomorrow," Sokka mumbled, stifling a yawn.

Katara nodded in agreement. "Goodnight, Sokka."

"Night, sis."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: I bet most of you can guess who the mystery boy was…and if you can't, you'll find out soon enough! :) As always, comments/suggestions welcome and appreciated. Thank you for reading! **

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

Zuko turned the cold doorknob of his front door, then stepped into the warm house and the smell of hot chocolate.

"You're home!" Iroh exclaimed as he walked into the entryway with a wide smile on his face. The smile faded as he saw Zuko's empty hands. "Were they out of Christmas lights?"

Zuko hesitated in answering; he knew that his uncle would worry about him and never let him out at night if he knew what had happened. But he also knew that his uncle's feelings would be hurt if he found out that his nephew was keeping it secret from him.

"They were closed," Zuko mumbled quietly. A pang of guilt made him shrink a little, but he told himself it was for the best if his uncle didn't know. _He'll only worry himself over nothing if I tell him_. _Besides,_ _I'm old enough to take care of myself_.

"What a shame," Iroh murmured sadly. "The tree looks so bare without them."

His nephew shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot, finding it difficult to make eye contact with Iroh. The old man noticed Zuko's unusual behavior, and knit his eyebrows together in concern.

"Nephew, are you all right? You're acting strange."

"Ye-yeah, I'm fine," Zuko lied, feeling as if his guilt was now trying to choke him with its sinister little claws. He forced himself to look into his uncle's worried eyes, and flashed him a small smile. In an attempt to avert Iroh's attention, he cleared his throat and asked, "Is that hot chocolate I smell?"

Iroh smiled brightly, and exclaimed, "It's waiting for us in the kitchen. Extra chocolate with three marshmallows – just the way you like it!" He waddled off into the kitchen, humming a tune that sounded strangely similar to "Jingle Bells".

Zuko let out a long breath, relieved to have avoided any more questions from his uncle. He shuffled toward the kitchen, then sat down on a bar stool and grabbed his steaming cup of hot chocolate. His hands warmed instantly as they surrounded the mug, and for the first time since the encounter with the teenagers, he allowed himself to relax a little. His shoulders ached from being tense the home walk home, and he rolled them back in an attempt to loosen them. He brought the drink to his nose and inhaled the delicious aroma, before take a small sip.

"This is good," he told his uncle, who was sitting next to him drinking his own mug of cocoa.

Iroh smiled, glad to have made his nephew happy. "I'm glad you like it. You know I always making things for you. Of course, nothing beats a good cup of tea, but this close to Christmas, it seems more appropriate to have hot chocolate."

"I agree," Zuko murmured, before taking a sip of his drink. "Although, we had so much tea over the summer, I was beginning to get sick of it."

His uncle nearly choked on his cocoa. "What?! Being sick of tea is like being sick of breathing!"

Despite his sour mood, Zuko had to chuckle at his uncle. "Not everyone loves tea as much as you do, uncle."

Iroh scratched his beard thoughtfully. "What a strange concept…"

Zuko rolled his eyes, but couldn't help the small smile that lifted the corners of his mouth. His uncle always managed to lift his mood, no matter how unhappy he was. The old man always knew how to cheer up his nephew; after all, he had been looking after him for quite a long time, and the two had grown to understand the other. They had a relationship that was stronger than most, due to the all the time they had spent together over the years. Zuko thought of Iroh as a father, and Iroh thought of Zuko as a son.

Zuko looked out the window above the kitchen sink, his smile fading as he saw the dark streets lined with dim lights. The image of the strange boy popped into his head, and he felt another shiver run up his spine. He couldn't help but remember the intense look in the boy's eyes, and his proposition. _What a freak. I would never leave my home...my uncle…to join them….would I?_

OooooOooooOooooOooooOooooO

That night, Zuko tossed and turned in his bed. He couldn't fall asleep; his mind was racing, replaying the events that had taken place earlier. The feeling of his heart pounding in his chest like never before, the rush of adrenaline, and the surge of power as he beat his enemies to the ground. He almost felt pleased with himself for hurting those boys, and it bothered him. He had hurt someone. A human being. And not just one person, but two. He shouldn't be feeling good about that, but he did. _What's wrong with me?_ Zuko wondered, staring up at his ceiling. Frustrated, he threw the covers off and placed his feet on the cold, hard floor. The moon cast faint shadows across his room, washing everything in its light a pale, silver color. He rose from the bed and stepped to his door, slowly turning the knob. Zuko pushed open the door, clenching his teeth as it made a loud squeaking sound. Walking into the hall, he peeked into his uncle's room, checking to see if Iroh had been awakened. The old man was laying in his bed and snoring loudly, much to Zuko's relief. The teen continued down the hallway, then silently padded down the stairs to the coat closet in the entryway. He grabbed his red coat, slipped his arms into the sleeves, and headed out the door.

The moon was high in the black sky as Zuko walked down the street toward the park. After his earlier experience, he knew better than to head into the deep part of town, so he decided to head the opposite way. _This is a stupid idea…especially after what happened last time I went out_, he thought to himself, but he needed the fresh air desperately. The walls of his house were making him feel trapped, and he had felt like he was being suffocated.

He stepped into the park, and followed the path until he reached an old wooden bench by a small pond. Zuko sat down on the bench, leaning forward and placing his head into his hands. Everything suddenly felt so complicated. The fact that he was even considering joining the boy seemed ridiculous; he had everything he could ever want in his life. But there was a part of him, a part of him he tried to bury and ignore, that felt…empty. He would never be able to forget his father's hatred, or his mother's death. The flames that burned down his life would haunt him forever, just like the scar on his face.

A single tear slid down his pale cheek, and he quickly brushed it away with the back of his hand. _Quit crying_, he scolded himself. What had happened in his past couldn't be changed, no matter how much he wished it could. The only thing he could do now was look ahead to his future. But where _was_ his future? Was he destined to live with his uncle, or…had he met that boy for a reason? He couldn't help but think of how his life would be different if he joined the teenager. He could have freedom, and feel like he belonged somewhere. While Zuko loved his uncle dearly, he had never felt at home living with him. He felt like a stranger inside those walls, and unwelcome in his own bed. Zuko knew that Iroh didn't feel burdened by him, but he always felt a pang of guilt when Iroh bought him new clothes, food, and other necessities_. I'm 16…I should be able to look after myself_. The teenager opened his eyes and stared into the pond, as if it held all the answers to his problems. _What would Mai say if I left? She'd feel like I abandoned her_, he contemplated. _I can still make time to see her._ _And besides, she'd understand if I left…she knows how I feel. _He exhaled slowly, then rose to his feet. Zuko turned and headed toward home, but he felt something heavy in his heart. Fear? Guilt? He didn't know. But it didn't matter; he'd made his choice.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Oooh dang! Things are getting serious now… I have finals in school for two days, but then I'll have a long break for Thanksgiving. You know what that means…lots of updates! Comments/suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading! :) **

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

The sky was a soft purple color, and the birds were beginning to sing their songs. The cool autumn breeze blew through the open window of Iroh's room, and the old man smiled as he opened his eyes and saw the beautiful morning. He sat up slowly, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as his mouth opened in large yawn.

"What a beautiful morning," Iroh mumbled to himself as he threw his legs over the side of the bed and put on his slippers. Rising to his feet slowly, he grabbed his robe from the bedpost and slipped it on, securing the tie at the front. He frowned as he struggled to tie it in a knot around his belly. _My robe must be shrinking_, he told himself. The old man shrugged and shuffled to his door, then walked out into the hall. He was surprised to see Zuko's door open; he was always up before his nephew on Saturdays. "Zuko?" Iroh called quietly as he entered the boy's room. "Are you awake?" He frowned and felt a spark of panic when he saw Zuko's bed made, and his nephew nowhere to be found.

By the time he arrived downstairs, he was very worried. Zuko always made sure to tell his uncle when he was going somewhere, so the old man wouldn't worry. Iroh wouldn't normally make a big deal of a situation like this since Zuko was a responsible teenager, but after his nephew's strange behavior the night before, he was in somewhat of a panic. He entered the kitchen, and felt a wave of relief wash over him when he found a note stuck to the granite island. With hands still shaking from his earlier alarm, he picked up the note and read his nephew's handwriting:

_Uncle,_

_ Ever since the incident, you have been like a father to me. And I know that since the day Lu Ten died in Afghanistan, you have thought of me as a son. I want to thank you for all that you've done for me. Without you, I wouldn't even have a life. But I know that it must be hard to support us both, and so I've made a decision. I won't be living with you from now on, and for both of our sakes, I can't say where I'm staying. Don't worry yourself – I'm perfectly safe. I'm 16 now, and I'm able to take care of myself. I need to find where I belong in this world, and I need to find my destiny. I hope you'll understand…so please don't come looking for me. I know I don't say it enough, but I love you._

_ Zuko_

Iroh choked on sobs as he set the letter back down on the counter. Is that really how his nephew felt? That it was a burden for Iroh to take care of him? _Zuko…you're not a burden, you're my family. You are my pride and joy._ He sat down on a bar stool and put his head into his large hands. Silent tears slid down his cheeks, dripping onto the floor and collecting in small puddles. _You're only 16, nephew! You don't know what's best for you._ He looked through his fingers at the letter and felt a pain that was not knew to him; he had felt like this when he lost Lu Ten. As if all the singing birds and beautiful sights of the world were fake, and the only real thing was the pain that seemed to carve a hole in his heart.

OooooOooooOooooOooooOooooO

Mai sat on her bed and hurled darts at the target on her wall. She had a worried look on her pale face, and her small lips were set in a frown. Zuko had come to her house earlier this morning and awakened her by throwing small pebbles at her window. Their conversation kept replaying in her mind.

_"Mai…there's something I have to tell you," he said as he sat next to her on the bed. He grabbed her hand and laced his fingers with hers._

_ "What is it? Are you okay?" she asked him, worry lancing through her when she saw his anxious expression._

_ "Yeah, I'm fine. But…" he sighed and ran his hands through his hair. "I – I'm not living with my uncle anymore."_

_ His girlfriend nearly fell off her bed in shock. "What?! What do you mean, you're not living with him anymore?"_

_ Zuko closed his eyes and murmured, "I've lived off of him for long enough. He shouldn't have to support both of us; he doesn't make that much money as it is, and I'm only making it harder for him by staying there."_

_ "Zuko, you're not a burden to your uncle. He's happy to take care of you…you know that," Mai said as her eyebrows furrowed. "What's gotten into you? I've never heard anything about this before, and now suddenly you just decide to take off? This isn't you."_

_ Suddenly offensive, Zuko jerked his head up. "Maybe this _is_ me! Everyone thinks they know what I need…well, they don't!" he nearly shouted as he got up and paced around her room. "You don't know what it feels like to have everything taken away from you. After going through that, it seems as if every nice gesture someone does for you is out of pity. But I don't need my uncle to support me anymore; it's time I learned to provide for myself."_

_ Mai sat quietly, watching Zuko with sad eyes. "Zuko…please don't think like that. Iroh doesn't look after you because he feels sorry for you, he looks after you because he loves you."_

_ "You don't know that!" he turned toward her, and she could see all the pain and self-hatred he had kept buried inside all these years starting to rise to the surface._

_ She jerked back as he snarled at her, and despite her understanding that he wasn't trying to be mean, it hurt a little. "I'm just trying to help you!" she told him angrily. "Why are you making it seem like I'm against you?"_

_ "Are you?" he questioned her with a fire in his gold eyes. "Because it sure doesn't sound like you're on my side!"_

_ "Maybe I don't want to be!" she shouted at him, rising to her feet and pushing her face so close to his their noses were almost touching. "You haven't even told me where you're going; how do I know you'll be safe? You talk about leaving, but where will you go?"_

_ His eyes darted back and forth between hers, and he opened his mouth to snap a reply, but nothing came. "I…I can't tell you."_

_ Mai's eyes darkened several shades. And when she spoke next, her voice was no longer loud and shrill; it was cold, and she spoke quietly. "No, of course you can't. But I have to say, Zuko, it's nice to know you trust me so much."_

_ Zuko shook his head slowly. "Mai, I'm sorry, but-"_

_ "I don't want to hear it," she interrupted him. "Get out of my room."_

_ His eyes widened in shock and hurt, and he tried to grab hold of her hands. "Mai, believe me, I want to tell you. But I can't."_

_ She yanked her hands away from his, and wrapped her arms around herself. "Why?" the hurt was clear in her voice, and it tugged at his heart. "Why can't you tell me? Do you not trust me?"_

_ "It's not that, Mai. It's just…I need to start fresh. And I don't want anyone to come looking for me," he told her._

_ She looked away from him and muttered, "Fine. Now get out of my room…please." Her eyes shone with unshed tears._

_ He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could speak, Mai shouted, "Get out!"_

_ Zuko stared at her with pain in his eyes, before he headed toward the window and climbed out without another word. When she turned back, all the evidence that remained of his visit was the open window, and the hole in her heart._

Mai cursed as one of the darts missed the board and pierced the wall. _What an idiot! _Her mind shouted. _Does he really think that running away is the answer to all his problems?_ She flopped down onto her bed and buried her face in a fuzzy black pillow. _He's never been the same since the fire. _She thought sadly. _He always has this crazy idea that he needs to face his problems alone, but he doesn't! Why can't he see that? _Tears started running down her cheeks onto the pillow. Mai was scared; she didn't know where her boyfriend was, or if he was even safe. She felt betrayed, and hurt. _Zuko…what have you done?_


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: I seriously never thought this story would get anywhere close to 400 views! This has just made my day…thank you to everyone who's been reading :) So on other news…do you think Zuko was making the right choice by leaving his uncle? The answer might seem obvious to us, but we all know our dear Zuko can be a bit…ahem…**_**hard-headed**_** at times. A big thank you to everyone who's reviewed/favorite/followed my story, you guys rock! Anyways, thanks for reading! :)**

**P.S. I should be adding a bunch of updates over the next week, because I'll have Thanksgiving break from school!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

_Heat. Smoke. It burned his lungs as he fought for breath that only seemed to choke his dry throat. His hands and knees were scraped raw from sliding across the wood floor, and the flames that were pursuing him leaped closer and closer by the second. _

_ "Mother!" he tried to scream, but his dry throat wouldn't allow him to form words. He choked on the cry, and his lungs burned in his tiny chest from their desperate need of oxygen. He crawled through the doorway of the living room, panic flooding his senses as he tried to avoid burning furniture. Tears were running down his small, ash-covered face, from both his fear and the smoke. The sound of crackling tongues of fire filled his ears, and his tongue tasted like smoky sandpaper in his mouth. As he searched through the wall of gray to find the door to outside, a tall figure stood out as a silhouette in the haze. Ursa's face appeared out of the smoke, her shirt pulled up over her nose to block the smoke. She reached out to grab her son, but before she could reach him, a deafening cracking sound filled the air. Zuko looked above his head and felt a wave of terror strike through him as he saw a beam break free from the ceiling. He heard his mother's scream, warning him to run. But he couldn't move; he was paralyzed in fear, and time seemed to slow down as the beam plummeted toward him and his mother. The last thing he saw before the impact was him mother's body, crushed beneath the flaming beam._

Zuko awoke with a start, covered in sweat despite the cold temperature. His heart thumped rapidly in his chest, and he fought to calm his breathing down. His hand flew up to his face, feeling the scar tissue that covered the left side. He gritted his teeth and ran his hands through his hair, sighing shakily.

He had spent the morning dozing in small glade of trees near his house. After a sleepless night, he had needed the rest badly. He got to his feet slowly, shaking off the clinging fear from his nightmare. Zuko needed to be ready for what he was about to do; for the first time, the utter insanity of what he was doing struck him. The teenager looked up at the gray sky, then took a deep breath, before padding quietly into the trees. He couldn't risk being out on the sidewalk where his uncle might see him, so he would just have to take the scenic route to the center of town. His footsteps seemed to be the only noise in the entire world as they crunched on the newly fallen leaves.

When he arrived at the edge of the trees, he turned right, and after a few minutes of walking, he emerged into the seemingly deserted alleys of the center of town. The place seemed much less menacing in the daylight than it did at night, but that didn't do much to help calm his racing heart. Zuko knew it wouldn't be hard to find the boy again; all he would have to do is show up and wait. He walked down the empty sidewalks until he reached the scene of their skirmish; there were a few splatters of dried blood on the walls, as well as scuff marks in the dust. Zuko came to a stop and leaned against the wall, resting his head back on the bricks. The cool breeze ruffled his hair, and he closed his eyes momentarily. Inhaling slowly, he felt himself starting to relax a bit. He didn't think there would be any fighting today; they had already taken care of that yesterday. As he opened his eyes, he heard a familiar voice calling out.

"Well, well. Didn't think we'd see you again so soon," the mystery boy smirked as he stalked toward him.

Zuko turned to face him as he neared. Lifting his chin, he murmured, "I've changed my mind. I'll join you."

The boy smiled, showing a set of surprisingly shiny, white teeth. "I knew you would." He turned to face the alley he had come from, held his hands in front of his mouth, and whistled a trill that sounded just like a bird. Three boys emerged from the dark alley, coming to stand next to the teenager who appeared to be their leader. The boy waved his arm toward his friends, and said, "This is Longshot, Pipsqueak, and Smellerbee." Longshot was tall and skinny, with an expressionless face, and he wore a ratty baseball cap. Pipsqueak, his name being quite the misnomer, was huge, with hands the size of dinner plates. Upon closer inspection, Zuko could see that Smellerbee was actually a girl. She wore a blue bandana around her forehead, and had two red lines painted on each cheek, which reminded Zuko of whiskers.

Zuko nodded his head to them, but he had to suppress a smile that tried to make its way onto his face. _What kind of names are those?! _He thought.

"And my name's Jet," the boy said, stepping forward and holding out a tan hand towards Zuko.

Zuko took hold of it and shook, giving him a small smile. "Zuko."

"Nice to officially meet you," Jet murmured with a smirk. "So…what made you change your mind?" he asked with a curious expression on his handsome face.

"I need a change. I can't keep living off of others," Zuko told him, pushing his hands into his coat pockets.

Jet nodded, and it was if some unspoken understanding passed between them. In that moment, Zuko decided he liked this boy; he may have tried to rob Zuko, but surely that was only for survival. _Just because he's a thief doesn't mean he's a bad person, _Zuko reasoned.

"Come with us," Jet told Zuko as he and his posse turned back toward the alley they had come from. "We'll take you back to the Den and show you where you'll be staying."

Zuko's eyebrows furrowed as he followed close behind. "The Den? What's that?"

Jet and his friends shared a smile, and Jet turned his head toward him and said with a wide grin, "It's our home."

Zuko felt a spark of excitement in his chest, and his pace became quicker as he sensed they were nearing their destination. They made many turns, and he began feeling as if they were in a concrete maze; he wondered how they didn't get lost. The group turned the final corner, and standing before them was a large, run-down warehouse. It didn't look like much, but as Zuko stepped into the building and gaped at the scene, he could only form one word.

"Wow."


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's Note: Woohoo! I've reached 500 views! Thank you all so much :) Now that Zuko is officially part of the gang, we can throw some more drama into the story! So everyone got a little insight to Zuko's past…you'll get more soon enough, as the story continues to progress. All in due time, all in due time! I'm sure you're aware by now, but comments/suggestions are welcome and appreciated! :) Thank you so much for reading!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

The inside of the Den was a teenage boy's dream; in the far left corner of the main room, there was a large blue couch and Lay-Z boy, both of which sat in front of a television that must have been at least 40 inches wide. Next to the TV, there was a cabinet with not only an Xbox, but also a PlayStation, and stacks of games for each. To the right of the warehouse entrance where the group stood there was a wooden door that was closed, but Zuko presumed it lead to a bedroom. To the left, there was a large staircase that led to the second floor, and under the staircase, there was a mini fridge and a large shelf filled with an assortment of foods. The far right corner of the room was home to a large, rectangular wooden table, with six chairs seated around it. Zuko couldn't believe his eyes; from the outside, the warehouse appeared run-down and deserted. He never would have thought this was what the interior looked like.

"This is amazing," Zuko breathed. "How…how did you get all of this?" he motioned towards all the accessories of the room.

"Same way we tried to get that fancy phone of yours," Pipsqueak said with a smirk. He had a deep voice, which is what you would expect from someone his size.

Zuko's appreciation for the items dimmed a little. "Ah."

Jet looked sideways at him, frowning a little. "You better get used to the idea of stealing, now that you're part of the group."

"I know," Zuko said, scowling a little. He walked further into the warehouse, looking all around him at his new home. The room was lit by a few lamps, as well as some lights hanging from the ceiling. Although there were quite a few of them, the room was still somewhat dim. Zuko didn't mind too much, though; it made the space feel cozy and welcoming. As he took in his surroundings, he heard footsteps descending down the stairs. Looking over, he saw a stocky teenage guy strolling down steps, with a small boy bouncing along behind him. Zuko was a surprised to see such a small child in this environment, and it made him a little sad. The tiny boy should be at home cuddling with his parents, not living in a warehouse with a bunch of teenage crooks and pickpockets. He did look happy, though; he had a wide smile on his face as he looked at Zuko, and his dark eyes sparkled.

"These are the rest of the members of our group," Jet informed Zuko as he gestured to the two boys who had arrived downstairs. "Sneers," he said as he pointed to the bulky one, "and The Duke," as he pointed to the little energetic boy.

"'Sup," Sneers said with a friendly smile.

Zuko smiled back, immediately liking the boy.

"Hey!" the little boy ran up to him and held his tiny hand up for a high-five.

Zuko slapped their palms, and greeted, "Hey, Duke."

The little boy pushed his lower lip out in a pout. "It's _The_ Duke!"

"Oh," Zuko mumbled. "My bad."

The Duke shrugged and smiled again, before running off to raid the refrigerator. The other boys dispersed in all different directions, some heading toward the couch, while a few others went to sit at the table. Jet strolled over to Zuko and pointed to the door next to the entrance of the warehouse.

"Pipsqueak, The Duke, and Sneers stay in that room. Longshot, Smellerbee, and I are upstairs," Jet informed Zuko. "For now, you can sleep on the couch until we can make a more permanent place for you. Sound good?" he asked.

"Yeah," Zuko replied with a nod of his head. "Thanks."

Jet clapped him on the shoulder. "No problem." He turned and made his way to the couch, before sitting down next to Smellerbee and The Duke. Pipsqueak lounged in the Lay-Z Boy, munching on what appeared to be potato chips. Zuko suddenly felt a bit uncomfortable being the only one standing, so he walked over to the table and sat down in an unoccupied chair. Longshot sat on one end of the table, with Sneers to his right.

Sneers looked at Zuko and smiled. "Welcome to the group," he murmured.

"Thanks," Zuko replied. There was somewhat of an awkward silence at the table, with no one having anything else to say. Zuko cleared his throat and stated, "It's a pretty cool place you have here. Not what I was expecting, though."

Sneers nodded understandingly. "When people hear of teenagers living on the streets, they don't typically think of them living in a total man-cave. I love the place," he said with a lop-sided grin.

Zuko chuckled. He noticed that Longshot was very quiet; not shy, just quiet. He listened intently and looked back and forth at Sneers and Zuko as they talked, but he didn't engage in conversation himself. Zuko idly wondered if he was mute. His train of thought was interrupted by the sound of gunfire coming from the TV. He looked over to see Jet, Smellerbee, and Pipsqueak playing the Xbox.

"Cover my left side, Pip!" Jet hollered frantically.

Pipsqueak narrowed his eyes in concentration and pressed the fire button, grinning as his bullets hit their target. "Thank me later."

Jet rolled his eyes and continued firing away, taking out wave after wave of the undead.

"Black Ops 2? You guys really have it all, huh?" Zuko remarked, raising his eyebrows.

Smellerbee looked over her shoulder and grinned. "You bet. This one was my catch, I'd like to point out. What would you guys do without me?" she asked as she turned back to the game.

Pipsqueak snorted and stuck his tongue out at her.

Zuko turned to Sneers. "This is going to sound stupid, but…what does she mean, 'catch'?"

Sneers explained, "That's what we call it when someone steals something." He leaned forward and whispered mischievously, "Her catch may have been the game, but mine was the Xbox." Sneers leaned back slowly and crossed his arms, a smug expression on his face.

Zuko smirked. "Impressive."

Sneers winked at him. They both started laughing, and even Longshot had a small smile on his face.

As the hours passed, Zuko began to feel more and more at home in the Den. He was beginning to get used to way things worked, and he was getting along with the fellow members of the gang well. When nighttime came and everyone went to bed, it took a while for Zuko to fall asleep. He was still wide awake from the excitement of the day, but he could feel his eyelids getting heavier by the minute. He still felt a little anxious about his new home, but he could tell that it wouldn't last long_. I could get used to this_, he decided. But even though he was happy in his new life, he couldn't get rid of the guilt inside him for leaving his uncle. And deep down inside him, Zuko knew that it would never leave.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: Zuko's getting along so nicely with his friends, don't you think? How sweet :) Anyways, we'll get back together with the Gaang in this chapter; we don't want to leave them out! Comments/suggestions are always welcome and appreciated. Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! :D Thanks for reading!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

The church bell rang, signaling the end of service. As he walked out the doors, Aang pulled his cell phone out of his pocket to text Sokka.

_Aang: Hey_

A few moments passed, before his cell phone chirped with a reply.

_Sokka: Hey! U out of church?_

_ Aang: Yep, it just ended. U and Kat want 2 meet up somewhere 4 lunch?_

_ Sokka: Sure. Where do u want to meet?_

_ Aang: Idk…how about Burger King? It's close 2 where I am now._

_ Sokka: Sure! Kat and I will be waiting._

_ Aang: Sounds good, cu in a few!_

_ Sokka: C ya!_

He clicked the power button on his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. Aang made his way toward Burger King, which was only a few blocks away from his church. The afternoon sun shone brightly on the colored leaves that covered the ground, but its light wasn't very warm. Aang zipped up his jacket further and shivered. His breath came out in puffs, and his hands became numb even inside his pockets. _Winter's here_, he concluded. Aang smiled; he loved the winter and all the fun it brought. Every winter, he and Sokka had a snowball fight, and he and Katara would go to see penguins in the nearby zoo.

As he stepped up onto the path that lead to the front door of Burger King, he was attacked by a very excited Sokka.

"Aang!" he shrieked as he threw his arms around his smaller friend. "Thank goodness you're here! Katara is eating onion rings…I thought I was going to die," he exclaimed, holding his nose.

Aang laughed and voiced, "You're so over-dramatic, Sokka! They don't smell that bad."

"Have _you_ been inhaling their stench for the past ten minutes?" Sokka questioned him, raising a dark eyebrow.

"No," Aang admitted. "But who cares! Let's just go inside; it's freezing out here," he muttered as he walked into the building. He looked around for Katara, and found her sitting in a booth on the far left side of the room. His heart started beating rapidly, and he felt his cheeks heat. Even with her puffy winter coat and wind-blown hair, she was beautiful. Sokka walked up behind Aang and rolled his eyes, before waving his tan hand in front of his friend's eyes.

"Come on, lovebird," Sokka teased as he made his way over to their table where his sister was waiting.

Aang's cheeks turned an even brighter red at his friend's remark, but he shuffled over and sat down across from the siblings.

"Hi" Katara greeted her younger friend with a smile, before a concerned look took over her features. "Your cheeks are really red. Are you feeling all right?"

Sokka snorted and covered his mouth with his hands. Aang shot him a glare.

"Uh-It's just because it's cold and windy out, and I walked here from church. I feel fine, thanks," he stumbled over his words a bit, so he flashed her a reassuring grin.

She raised an eyebrow, but decided it was best not to question him further. "Okay."

Sokka leaned so back so Katara wouldn't see him and made a heart shape with his hands, batting his eyelashes at Aang. The boy waited until Katara was looking down at her burger, then stuck his tongue out at Sokka. The two boys burst out laughing, provoking a puzzled look from Katara.

"I worry about you two sometimes," she said with a grin.

As Aang cracked up, he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. Looking over, he immediately stopped laughing, and his wide smile turned into a scowl.

"Oh great," he muttered.

Confused, Sokka and Katara looked over their shoulders to see a tall man walking into the building. He had an angular face, and black, shiny hair.

"Ugh," Sokka grumbled. "Great. Now our principal is stalking us!"

Katara sighed, "Relax, you two. Long Feng isn't stalking us, he's just getting lunch. School principals have to eat, too, you know!"

Sokka snorted. "What a creep."

Aang nodded in agreement. Long Feng looked around the room and spotted the teenagers; he waved to them, a small smile on his face.

They all smiled sweetly and waved back.

"See? Creepy," Sokka said through his teeth.

Aang snorted and started laughing, and even Katara couldn't help but giggle.

Long Feng smiled, oblivious to the teenager's words.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: So, did everyone watch the Thanksgiving Day Macy's Parade? I did! I must say, I was a bit surprised to see the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have Fallout Boy sing on their float…and I didn't see Master Splinter -_- Oh well. I know he's getting old, so it must be hard for him to get around. I suppose I should stop talking about them now, since this isn't a crossover fanfic. I don't want their reptilian little hands on my story! …Anyways, on the subject of things that are actually relevant to this story, I know that the last chapter was pretty short, so I'll try to make this one a bit longer. Comments/suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading!**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty!"

Zuko's eyes snapped open, and he fell off of the couch and onto the floor. He looked up to see Pipsqueak hovering above him, with a huge grin on his face. He burst out laughing, and his deep voice seemed to vibrate the ground. Zuko groaned and threw his arm over his face, sighing heavily. Clanging footsteps alerted him that someone was coming down the stairs, and peeking out from under his arm, he could see Jet descending towards them. Jet raised his eyebrows when he saw Zuko laying on the floor.

"What happened here?" he asked with a smirk.

Zuko pointed at Pipsqueak. "Ask him."

Jet looked over at Pipsqueak, waiting for an explanation.

"I've taken the liberty of being his alarm clock," Pipsqueak told him proudly, before he strolled into the bedroom he shared with Sneers and The Duke.

With a roll of his eyes, Jet shuffled away to get something to eat from the mini fridge. Zuko's stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't had anything to eat for a while.

"What do you have for breakfast around here, anyways?" Zuko questioned, slowly rising to his feet. He raised his muscular arms above his head and stretched, his mouth opening in a large yawn.

"Whatever you want," Jet called from the fridge. He had pulled out an apple, and he took a large bite, crunching on the juicy fruit.

Zuko strolled over to the food shelf, looking at his options. There was a variety of foods; chips, crackers, cookies, fruit snacks, and more. Unsatisfied with the food the shelf had to offer for breakfast, he moved on to the fridge. Inside, a bowl of fresh-looking strawberries caught his eye, and he nearly drooled at the sight of them. Taking the bowl out, he closed the fridge and sat down at the table in the same spot he had last night. As he dug into the delicious fruit, Jet sat down at the head of the table, opposite the side that Longshot had been sitting in last night.

"Everyone in the gang has a spot they usually sit at during meals," Jet informed Zuko. He pointed to the chair Zuko was sitting in. "That's The Duke's spot. You can use it for the moment, though; he usually wakes up an hour later than the rest of us do. Sometime later today we'll bring you in a chair from the storage closet to use at the table."

Zuko nodded in understanding. "Is everyone else still asleep?"

Jet nodded. "Most of us sleep in on Sundays. _Most_," he emphasized, looking over toward the door Pipsqueak had disappeared through.

Zuko smirked. "So…do you always sit there?" he asked, gesturing toward the chair that Jet sat in.

The boy nodded. "Longshot and I sit at the heads of the table."

"I get the feeling that you're in charge around here," Zuko told him, lifting an eyebrow.

"That would be correct. Longshot is second in command, so to speak," he replied.

Zuko finished his strawberries and sat back in his chair. "What determines the rank?"

Jet thought about this for a moment. "There really aren't any ranks in this gang, other than me and Longshot. Although the missions you get depend on your experience."

"Missions?" Zuko asked, curious.

"Yeah. Every month, Longshot and I create a list of things that we need to acquire. We assign a few items to each member of the gang, and it's their job to find those items, and steal them. The members with more experience get the harder, more risky assignments, and the members that haven't had as much practice get easier missions," Jet enlightened Zuko. "Make sense?"

Zuko nodded. "Clever system. But what happens if someone isn't able to get all the items assigned to them in the month?"

Jet shrugged. "Nothing, really. It's punishment enough to know that you let your team down, you know?"

"Yeah," Zuko murmured. He got up from the table and walked over to the bin of dirty dishes next to the food shelf.

"What are the assignments for this month?" Zuko asked Jet as he placed his empty bowl inside the bin.

Jet pointed to the entrance to the warehouse. "We keep the list right over there, so everyone can check in if they forget what their assignment is."

Zuko looked over toward the doorway, and saw a piece of paper tacked to the wall. As he strode over to get a better look, he could see the paper was divided into six separate sections, one for each of the members of the gang. Under each name was a list of items. The Duke only had two items, whereas everyone else had at least four. Next to each item there was a checkbox; some were crossed off, and some were empty. Zuko assumed those were to mark which items had been acquired, and which items had not.

"So…for items that aren't necessities, like the Xbox, do you still assign them to someone? Or do you just get lucky and stumble across it randomly?" Zuko asked Jet.

"Each member gets to pick one item of their own to steal each month, in addition to the ones Longshot and I assign to them. We call someone's chosen item their 'catch', which I believe I heard Sneers mention last night. I also heard him mention that the Xbox was his catch." Jet snorted and smiled. "He's proud of that one."

Zuko grinned. "I could tell."

Jet looked at Zuko for a moment, before he asked, "You want to see the best part about this place?"

Zuko blinked, caught off guard. "Sure."

"Follow me," Jet instructed as he rose from his chair. Zuko walked behind him as they both made their way over to the front door. Once out in the fresh air, Jet turned left and walked around towards the back of the warehouse. He came to a stop and pointed to a ladder leading up to the roof.

"Climb up," he told Zuko with a smile.

Curious, Zuko grabbed the railings and climbed up the ladder. Once he reached the top, a strong wind gusted and blew his black hair. He heard Jet climb up behind him, and the boy clapped Zuko on the shoulder.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Jet asked him. They both leaned on the railing that lined the edge of the building.

"Yeah," Zuko agreed. From up here, it seemed as if he could see miles and miles. He turned in a slow circle, and he could see a large forest behind the warehouse_. I never even knew that forest was there_, he realized. There was something about being up here that made him feel peaceful. Maybe it was the quiet, which was so hard to find in the city.

"Wait 'till you see it at night," Jet said dreamily. "It'll take your breath away."

"I bet," Zuko breathed, gazing out at the scene.

The two sat in silence for a while, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere of the rooftop. Zuko felt like he was on top of the world; like all his worries and troubles couldn't reach him from where he stood.

Jet looked at Zuko, before he spoke quietly. "You know…as soon as I saw your scar, I knew exactly who you were."

Puzzled, Zuko looked over at him.

"You're an outcast, like me," Jet murmured, and he looked back out at the view.

Zuko was quiet for a long time before he answered. "I've always had friends. I've always had a place to live. But…I've never felt like I fit in. Everyone saw me and thought I was happy, because that's how I acted. I put on a mask. But every time I look in the mirror and see my scar, I'm reminded of how different I am."

Jet nodded his head, and it was like some unspoken understanding passed between them. "Us outcasts have to stick together," he murmured. "We have to watch each other's backs. Because no one else will."


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: I really have nothing to say in this author's note… So, comments/suggestions are welcome and appreciated. Thanks for reading! :) **

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

Mai sighed as she, Azula, and Ty Lee walked into the furniture store.

"Why did we come _here_?" she grumbled. "Out of all places…a furniture store. Really?"

"Oh come on, Mai, lighten up!" Ty Lee insisted as she practically leaped from one piece of furniture to another. "I've been _dying_ to remodel my bedroom for years now, and now that I have the chance, I want it to be perfect!" She squealed and ran off, disappearing in the sea of tables, beds, and other various furnishings.

Mai and Azula followed behind her, not quite as eager to explore the store as their perky friend. Azula scoffed as they walked by a red sofa. "That is positively hideous!"

Mai raised an eyebrow and looked at the piece of furniture. It was offensively bright, something that Mai didn't particularly care for.

After a few moments, they caught up with Ty Lee, who was inspecting a beach-themed bedroom display.

"Oh, I love this seashell bedspread!" she squealed, sprawling onto the blankets.

"Are you serious?" Mai asked, curling her lip. "It looks like the beach threw up all over it."

Ty Lee pushed her lower lip out in a pout. "Well! I like it," she exclaimed, striking a pose on the bed.

Azula snickered. "Stop that, Ty Lee, before someone sees you."

"Too laaate," Mai whispered with a smirk, and nodded toward the desk at the back of the store.

A guy probably about 18 – 20 years old was looking over his computer screen at Ty Lee, practically drooling on the keyboard. When he noticed that he had drawn attention to himself, he frantically scooted his rolling chair along the desk until he was hidden behind a shelf.

The three girls burst out laughing so hard they were nearly crying.

"Must be the sexy bedspread," Mai giggled.

Ty Lee rolled around on the bed, clutching her stomach in her hysteric laughter. "I _knew_ it was perfect!"

OooooOooooOooooOooooOooooO

Iroh tapped his foot anxiously as he waited outside the office. He looked up at the clock, disappointed to see that it had only been five minutes since he sat down in the waiting room. The minutes seemed to crawl by, and every second felt like a lifetime. His heart jumped as he finally heard the door to the office click open, and he looked over to see the visitors before him walk out. They gave him a friendly smile as they passed, and Iroh did his best to return the friendly gesture. He rose to his feet as his nephew's school counselor appeared in the doorway.

"Hello, are you the next on my schedule?" the woman asked with a large smile on her face.

"Yes," Iroh replied with a small smile.

The woman nodded and held out her hand. "My name is Joo Dee."

The old man shook her hand, and murmured, "Iroh. I'm Zuko's uncle."

"Yes, yes, I know you!" she exclaimed, and if it was possible, her wide smile got even bigger. "We met when your nephew…ahem…happened to come by another students' ID card."

Iroh nodded, recalling the event. "And when he cheated off a test in eighth grade," he said with a small smirk.

"And wasn't there something else…?" she asked, a puzzled look coming over her face.

"The incident on the playground in fifth grade," he reminded her.

She clapped her hands together loudly, making everyone in the room jump. "That's it! I knew I was forgetting something."

Iroh smiled at her, just wanting to get this over with.

Joo Dee simply smiled at him for a moment, seemingly oblivious to his impatience. She finally exclaimed, "Well then! Let's get started." She led the old man into her office and sat down, fixing the name plate on her mahogany desk. "So, what was the issue that we needed to discuss? Are you concerned about your nephew" she asked him, sitting tall.

"No," Iroh lied. "I just wanted to know how he's been doing in school. And also, if you or anyone else have noticed any…strange behavior." He plastered a fake smile on his face, wanting to appear nonchalant.

Joo Dee beamed at him. "He's doing wonderful! All he needs is a few good test scores to raise his grades a bit. I have no concerns about him," she gushed. "And regarding your question about strange behavior: I haven't noticed anything unusual at all. I can ask around to see if anyone else has different opinions, if you like."

Iroh sighed quietly. "No, no, that's all right. I was just wondering." The real reason he had come to see Zuko's school counselor could not be shared with her; he desperately wished to know how long Zuko had been struggling before he left him. His note had said that he needed to find where he belonged, and that he didn't want Iroh to have to support both of them anymore, but how long had he felt like that? Since he moved in with Iroh, or…was this something that his unpredictable teenage mind had decided? Iroh wanted his nephew to be happy, but even more than that, he needed Zuko to realize his worth. His value. He had never been a burden to Iroh, and he never would be.

"Thank you for your time," he told Joo Dee as he rose to his feet.

She smiled brightly at him, for what seemed like the millionth time. "Not at all! I look forward to our next visit," she said as she opened the door for him.

"As do I," he agreed with a smile.

He walked out into the waiting room and toward the exit, glad to have that done and over with.

Joo Dee watched him walk out from her doorway, her grin never leaving her face. "Ta-ta!"


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note: I see based off of the reviews that a lot of people want to see a conflict between the "Freedom Fighters" and the Gaang. Now, as a writer, it's my duty to make the readers happy…so, perhaps there will have to be a bit of a...*ahem*…**_**showdown**_** in the near future :) We will see, we will see. Anyways! Comments/suggestions are always welcome and appreciated. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story! :)**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

Zuko sighed as he watched the sun begin to descend behind the treetops. Its golden light glowed through the branches, warming his pale face. His hands were wrapped around the metal railing, which was cold against his palms. Jet had returned to the inside of the warehouse a while ago, but Zuko had stayed on the roof, enjoying the peace and quiet. _ I suppose I should get back inside_, he decided. He knew dinner would be ready soon, and he didn't want to keep the gang waiting. He took one last look at the setting sun, before he climbed down the rickety ladder to the ground. His footsteps crunched on the pavement as he walked around to the front of the warehouse. He was about to step inside, but he stopped abruptly when he heard someone say his name from the other side of the door.

"…about Zuko. How do you know we can trust him? And besides, we don't even need him," Smellerbee murmured quietly.

Zuko wasn't normally one to eavesdrop, but he couldn't resist; if someone was talking about him behind his back, he wanted to know what they were saying. _Who is she talking to?_ He wondered. Pushing his ear against the door, he prayed that no one opened it and saw him listening in.

His question was answered when he heard Jet's voice responding. "Trust me on this one, Bee. I think Zuko would be a good addition to our gang. He's just trying to find his way in the world, like us."

Smellerbee was silent for a moment, before she protested, "You don't know anything about him, Jet."

"Neither do you," he told her gently. "So…maybe he's not as bad as you think."

Smellerbee sighed. "All right. I'll give him a chance."

Zuko cleared his throat before he opened the door and walked into the Den, acting nonchalant.

"Hey," Jet greeted from where he and Smellerbee sat at the table. "Finally decided to come in, huh?"

Zuko smirked. "It's freezing out there." He walked over to the couch and plopped down in front of the TV, scowling at the movie that was on. There was couple in a romantic embrace, confessing their love for each other.

Smellerbee snickered. "You can change it if you want," she told him. "Sneers loves his romance movies."

Zuko looked over at her and raised an eyebrow. "Seriously?"

She nodded, grinning. "He may look tough, but he's a real softie."

Zuko chuckled, not all that surprised. The boy had been nicer to him than anyone else so far, and he had a friendly charm about him that Zuko found enjoyable to be around. Grabbing the remote from a small table next to the couch, Zuko surfed through the channels, trying to find something at least semi-enjoyable to watch. He came across a familiar-looking wrestling program, and he realized that this was a rerun of the match he had been watching the night he first ran into the gang. Zuko couldn't help but remember that last night with his uncle; the night they were drinking hot chocolate, and setting up the Christmas tree. He remembered Iroh's smile when he walked into the door, and his warm hugs that were always waiting for him after a hard day. _Stop it_, he scolded himself. _Stop thinking about him._ Frustrated, he jabbed the channel button with his thumb, continuing his search for something enjoyable to watch.

"So, Zuko," Jet said as he appeared beside him and took a seat. "Me and the gang have been talking…we think you're ready for your first mission."

Zuko's head whipped to the side, his eyes wide. "Really?"

Jet nodded, a smile on his tan face. "We've added your name to the list. Since you're new to the art of thievery, we've only assigned you two items: a pocketknife, and a blanket."

Zuko raised his eyebrows. "Those are…interesting items."

"You'll keep the pocket knife after you steal it for self-defense; these streets aren't exactly what you would call friendly. And the blanket will be yours, too, to be used when we get your bed set up," Jet explained.

"Ah. That makes sense," Zuko murmured, setting the TV remote down on the couch. "When will I go?" he questioned Jet.

The older teenager looked at him, smiling. "Tonight."

Zuko nodded, swallowing. Excitement fluttered in his chest, but underneath it, there was a thick layer of apprehension. _I'm not sure I'm ready for this,_ He worried. _But then again, I don't have much of a choice. I just joined this gang…I can't disappoint them now. And this is my chance to gain their complete trust, _Zuko told himself. _I'm worth something here. This gang is depending on me to carry out the mission; I won't let them down. _Despite his effort at self-comfort, he still felt uncomfortable with the idea of stealing the items. He'd never stolen anything, apart from Aang's ID card. Zuko clenched his teeth, attempting to calm his nerves.

Sensing his nervousness, Jet placed a soothing hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, man. I'll have Sneers fill you in on everything you need to know before your first run. You'll do just fine," he murmured with a reassuring smile.

Zuko plastered a fake smile on his face, trying to mirror Jet's calm demeanor. "Thanks."

OooooOooooOooooOooooOooooO

Toph sighed as she walked through the Beifong Estate's garden. She loved the feel of the dirt pushing up through her toes, and the earth smell that the cold breeze carried. Her feet were nearly numb from the cold ground, but that didn't stop her from feeling crisp grass and rocky soil that covered the terrain like a blanket. Although she couldn't see it, she could imagine the green grass covered with frost, and the bare trees rocking back and forth in the chilly wind.

"Toph! Where are you?" a woman's voice drifted from behind her.

Toph sighed as she recognized her mother's worried tone. This seemed to happen nearly every day; she would walk out into the garden for a nice stroll, and then someone would come and ruin it.

"I'm fine, Mom. Relax, would you?" Toph grumbled as she heard her mother approach her.

"What have I told you about wandering off without telling anyone?" her mother admonished. "And in bare feet!"

Toph rolled her pale eyes, knowing her mother wouldn't see it. "I'm not a baby! I can take care of myself. And besides, it's just the garden. The most dangerous thing in here is thorns," she reasoned.

Her mother sighed, exasperated. "Come on, we're going inside. Spend any more time out here and you'll catch a cold, if you haven't already."

Toph fumed as she followed her mother to the mansion. Her parents always treated her like she couldn't take care of herself, even though she was fourteen years old. She knew it was because she was blind; they thought that made her vulnerable. _But it doesn't!_ She screamed in her head. _I've been like this my whole life…I've never known anything else. I've come to accept it…so why can't everyone else?_


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: First off, I'd like to apologize for the incredibly long wait. I've been so busy with a new trimester of school, piano recital, and choir concert! I wish I could have updated this week, but I had no time :( So again, I apologize for the ridiculously long wait. On another note, thank you all for the reviews! They make my day when I read them :) It really means a lot to me to know that there are people who appreciate my hard work. You guys are the best! So, on the subject of the story: Zuko's first mission…exciting! How do you think he will do? You won't find out in this chapter, but it's coming soon. Comments/suggestions are welcome and appreciated, thank you so much for reading! **

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

Katara pulled the hood of her jacket lower as the chilly air blew at her back. The autumn air was close to freezing, but she didn't mind too much; she had always enjoyed the cold weather and the promise of snow that it brought.

The door to the jewelry shop creaked loudly as she opened it, reminding everyone in the store that it was one of the oldest buildings in town. Katara walked through the maze of glittering bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and other forms of jewelry, taking a few moments to examine a beautiful silver ring with a turquoise stone in the center. Looking at the price tag, she winced as she read the hand-written number of forty-five. Since she had only brought thirty dollars with her, she decided to move and on and try to find another accessory within her price range. As she passed by a tall rack of necklaces, a particularly shiny one caught her eye. Bending down to examine it, she gasped as the diamonds caught the light and sent rays of rainbow in every direction.

"I see you take a liking to diamonds," a voice said behind her.

She turned, and a wide smile broke out on her face. "Haru!" she exclaimed happily as she embraced him in a tight hug. "How have you been? I haven't seen you in ages!"

Haru laughed, wrapping his arms around his former girlfriend. "I've been great, and you?"

Katara stepped back, still grinning from ear to ear. "Wonderful!"

Last year Katara and Haru had dated for nearly six months, before Haru's father, Tyro, had bought the jewelry shop. The former owner had been an elderly woman named Hama, but her license to run the store had been revoked when the public gained awareness of her underpaying the employees. At the time, Tyro had worked at a low-paying job, so he had decided to buy the store and use his knowledge of the business world to bring the shop back on its feet. It had turned out well, and the shop got more business now than ever before. But it had taken a toll on Haru and Katara's relationship; the 16-year old boy had chosen to spend his time at the shop instead of with his girlfriend, and as a result, Katara had called off their relationship. There were no hard feelings between them, however, since they had both come to realize that they weren't meant for each other. Since then, Haru had been working with his father at the jewelry store.

"How has business been?" Katara asked, looking back down at the beautiful diamond necklace.

"It's better than ever," Haru informed her excitedly. "We have an order of new earrings on the way, and I think we'll sell thousands! If you'd like, I can save you a pair."

Katara smiled, shaking her head. "Thank you for the offer, but that's okay. I have more earrings than I know what to do with," she told him with a giggle.

Haru smiled, before looking down at the sparkling piece of jewelry in her hands. "You can never have too many necklaces though, right?"

Katara nodded and agreed, "Is this a new piece of jewelry? I don't think I've ever seen it before."

"That would be correct," he declared. "It just came in last week, from somewhere in England, I think. Would it be safe to say that you like it?"

"Yes," she murmured, grinning. "The shapes of these diamonds are stunning," Katara breathed.

Haru was silent for a moment, deep in thought. "Would you excuse me for a moment? I need to speak to my father about something."

"Sure," Katara told him. "I'll wait at the checkout."

Haru disappeared into the back of the shop, where his father was working. Katara strolled over to the counter and set the necklace down next to the register, waiting patiently for her friend to return. She could hear voices in the back room, but she wasn't able to make out what they were saying. The sound of the back door swinging open caught Katara's attention, and she turned her head to see Haru and Tyro emerge from the back room.

"Hello, Katara," Tyro greeted with a warm smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Tyro! It's so good to see you," Katara replied, flashing the old man a kind smile.

"Same to you," Tyro replied. He stepped to the side, nodding to Haru. His son stepped forward, clearing his throat and smiling at a very confused Katara.

"We'd like you to have this necklace. Think of it as an early Christmas gift," Haru told her, grinning from ear to ear.

Katara gasped, her eyes widening. "I couldn't possibly take this!"

"Please, we'd like you to have it," Tyro murmured.

"Oh, thank you, thank you so much!" Katara squealed, and threw her arms around both Haru and Tyro. Both men laughed and hugged her back, happy to see her so ecstatic. Katara stepped back and slipped the necklace over her head, smiling as it sparkled like the snow outside.

"It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, beaming at the necklace in a mirror on the counter. "Thank you again."

"You're welcome," Haru murmured. "Our favorite customer deserves nothing less than the best!"

Katara smiled, blushing a bit. "I should head back home. I'm sure Gran Gran will be wondering where I am."

She waved goodbye to Haru and Tyro as she headed out the door, the chill of the air returning to her skin. The fall air seemed to pierce through her coat as she walked toward home. Katara shivered, zipping her light-blue jacket up as far as it would go. She smiled as she felt the necklace sway back and forth with her pace, and reached up to run her fingers along the sparkling surface that was as bright as the snow.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note: I don't know about you guys, but I'm loving the Christmas music and movies! This is the best time of the year, in my opinion :) I'll get back with Zuko in this chapter, and he'll be going on his first mission. How exciting! Comments/suggestions welcome and appreciated, thanks for reading! Have a great Christmas :)**

"_**And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. Unto you is born this day a Savior which is Christ the Lord.'"**_

_**~Luke 2:11**_

**Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

Zuko took a deep breath as he followed Jet outside of the warehouse and into the chilly night air. His air puffed out in a silver cloud, and the slow breeze ruffled his hair slightly, making him shiver despite the thick coat he wore. The streets were dimly lit by moonlight, but the alleys and corners of the city were engulfed in dark shadows.

_"Remember: Stealth is the key. If your target doesn't hear you coming, you can grab what you need and take off before they even realize what happened." _

Zuko remembered Sneers' words spoken only a few hours prior. Just as promised by Jet, Sneers had walked Zuko through the steps of a successful theft.

"_How will I know what a person is carrying? Or if I don't know where to find an item on my list…what then?" Zuko had questioned._

_Sneers had patiently replied, "Usually, you would pick a hidden place with a good view of a store where your item can be found. You have to keep a constant lookout, though, because as soon as you see someone buy your item, it's show time. As soon as your target walks out of the store, you have 3 simple steps to follow." Sneers held up his fingers as he counted them off. "Number one – Close the distance. Number two – Take the item. Number three – run like crazy."_

_Zuko had nodded his head, his heart beginning to pound in anticipation. _

_Sneers continued, "As for finding the items: you can usually tell by the names of the stores, but if you have questions, just ask. But you'll get the hang of it in no time; the longer you're in this part of the city, the more you learn about the places – and people – in it."_

_His throat felling too dry to speak, Zuko had once again nodded in understanding._

"_Oh, and one more thing," Sneers added with a smirk. "Whatever you do, don't get caught."_

Zuko was snapped out of his thoughts by Jet's voice.

"For the first few months of this, you'll need to wear a mask to cover your face," the tan boy told Zuko, handing him a black ski mask. "After a while, you get more experienced with hiding your face from your target, but there's no need to have you worrying about that now if you don't have to."

Zuko grabbed the mask from him, before slipping it over his face. "How original," he muttered sarcastically.

Jet snorted, in something Zuko assumed was laughter. "Do you remember your items?"

"A pocketknife and a blanket, right?" Zuko asked, adjusting the mask so that he could talk more comfortably.

The other boy nodded. "For tonight, let's just stick with the pocketknife. The sooner you get that, the better. Some of the residents of this part of town are a little…ah…vicious."

Zuko swallowed, anxiety fluttering in his chest. "Where will I be tonight?"

Jet turned and stalked quietly down the street. "Follow me."

The two headed down the dark road, their serious expressions illuminated every few seconds by the street lamps that lined the path. They passed many shops, many of which had closed hours earlier. There was one, however, that cast bright light onto the street through its windows. Zuko looked up above the doorway and saw that the store was called Outdoor Equipment. The letters were made of a sturdy-looking wood, and they were painted a dark green, which reminded Zuko of a pine forest.

"This is the best place in town to find pocketknives," Jet told Zuko. He paused. "The only place, actually."

The sound of footsteps coming from down the street made both boys turn; there were two figures walking toward them, and when they passed under a street lamp, Zuko and Jet could see that it was what appeared to be a guy and his girlfriend.

"Hide," Jet hissed, pulling Zuko into a dark alley before they could be seen by the couple. The shadows seemed to swallow them as they crouched behind a garbage can, breathing slowly and silently so as not to be heard by the two people passing. As the couple neared the boys, their conversation could be heard echoing through the vacant streets.

"…but she never called me back!" the girl was saying in a whiny voice.

Her boyfriend said nothing, but Zuko thought he could see him roll his eyes.

"Hey – let's stop here real quick," the guy muttered, stepping up to the front door of Outdoor Equipment.

"Seriously? You know I hate this store," the girl whined, chomping loudly on a piece of gum.

"Just for a few minutes," her boyfriend sighed as he opened the door and walked inside.

The girl followed him inside with a huff, stomping in her high heels. It was a wonder she didn't break an ankle.

Jet patted Zuko on the back. "Keep an eye on the knife rack – see it? It's the one next to the counter."

Zuko looked inside the store and searched for the rack, nodding when he found it.

"Keep watching that rack," Jet instructed him. "I've got a good feeling about this one."

Zuko took a deep breath, in an attempt to steady his racing heart. Part of him hoped that the guy wouldn't pick out a knife; he still wasn't completely comfortable with the idea of this. But on the other hand, he knew it was time to start carrying his weight around the Den. He wanted to prove to the gang that he had what it took to complete a mission, but even more than that, he wanted to earn their respect.

Inside the store, the guy perused the selections, pausing every so often to examine different equipment. His girlfriend trailed behind him, her mouth moving in silent complaints about the time they were spending in the store. The man behind the counter was glaring at her, his lip curled in annoyance. Zuko's eyes widened as the guy stopped in front of the knife rack, and grabbed a knife with a thick red handle, and a shiny silver blade. His heart seemed to stop as the guy walked over to the counter and set the knife down, pulling out his wallet to pay for the knife. Zuko looked over at Jet, raising his eyebrows in question.

Jet nodded, a smile spreading across his handsome face. "This is it."


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note: This is finally it…Zuko's big moment! Thank you all for sticking through all the cliffhangers…I know they can be maddening. So I have a question: should I make the chapters longer? Or keep them the same length? Because when I started this, I thought the chapters were long, but I've been reading some other fanfictions, and I've come to realize that my chapters are actually quite short. I would appreciate feedback on this :) As always, comments/suggestions are welcome and appreciated, thank you for reading! :)**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.**

The only sounds Zuko could hear was the pounding of his heart in his chest, and the roaring of blood in his ears. Time seemed to stop, and it was as if eons passed while the couple slowly made their way toward him and Jet. He barely registered Jet's hand touching his shoulder, in a silent urge to go for it. _This is it. This is it_. Zuko repeated this mantra over and over in his seemingly shut-down mind, trying to collect some tiny bit of courage to get his legs moving. He stopped breathing as the guy and his girlfriend walked past, completely unaware of his and Jet's presence. Zuko was sure that they must be able to hear his pounding heart, which threatened to break open his chest.

"Zuko," Jet hissed in his good ear, "Go, now!"

Zuko nodded, taking a deep breath. With shaking legs, he rose to his feet slowly, feeling slightly nauseas. He could once again hear the girl's whining in her high-pitched voice, and although it was beyond irritating, he was grateful for the loud noise; it would be easier for him to sneak up on the pair, since her complaining would drown most likely drown out any sounds he made. _Now or never_, he told himself, and he took a silent step forward and out of the darkness.

_Close the distance_. Zuko turned the corner and silently crept behind the couple, making sure to set his feet down in time with theirs. The two people before him continued to bicker and gripe, completely unaware of his presence. Zuko was so close he could reach out and touch them, and his muscles were so tense he had to struggle to walk so silently.

_Take the item_. Eyeing the knife in the guy's hand, Zuko darted forward, snatching the gleaming silver weapon out of his grasp, causing the girl to scream. He nearly hit the guy's shoulder as he rushed past, but he was on fire now, and there was no stopping him.

_Run like crazy_. Zuko flew like he never had before, and the wind could be felt even through the ski mask he wore on his face. He heard the guy's indignant shout behind him as he recovered from the shock, and that only made Zuko's legs work faster. He was a blur, racing through the streets in what he hoped was the direction of the Den. He risked a glance over his shoulder, and saw that the young man was pursuing him, but falling behind quickly, as he was no match for Zuko's long legs. His lungs screamed for air, but he knew that stopping wasn't an option yet. Despite the tense situation, he smiled to himself, smug pride washing over him as he felt the cold silver clutched in his palm. He looked back yet again to see that the man was doubled over, hands on his knees as he fought for breath. The guy screamed something indecipherable in Zuko's direction, followed by a rude gesture from his middle finger. Zuko smirked and returned the favor, before he slowed, realizing that the guy wasn't planning to follow him any further.

As Zuko continued on his way toward the Den, he felt something inside him glow with a pride that he knew was wrong. _What would Uncle think?_ Zuko couldn't help but wonder, guilt swamping his soul. _I've just stooped to the low ranks of a thief. Surely Uncle didn't put all his heart into raising me the best I could be to have me perform this…this sick, messed up stunt. _Then, _No, no, no! Stop thinking about him_! _That's not going to do you any good_, he told himself angrily. He did what he had had to do, and now, as a reward, he was officially part of the gang. A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth, but he didn't truly feel it on the inside.

OooooOooooOooooOooooOooooO

The gang had celebrated that night, in honor of Zuko's first mission.

"You're one of us, now," Pipsqueak had told him with a wide grin, and then slapped him on the shoulder so hard Zuko nearly fell over.

The whole night, Zuko had worn a smile that made him appear happy and proud. He _did_ feel a certain amount of pride in having completed his mission, but it was buried beneath the thick layer of guilt that weighed down his body. He had put on such a good show of smiling for the gang that he almost convinced himself that he was truly happy with what he had done. But Zuko couldn't fool himself; he had just thrown away all decency he had been taught all his life, and now he would have to work to get it back. But how could he, when he was living in this lifestyle now? Tonight was only the beginning of what was to come, and this mission was the gateway which led to countless more in the future. The gang was genuinely proud of him, though; the entire night, his shoulder had been clapped and patted with acceptant hands, and his fake smile had been met with countless of real ones. But nothing seemed to help. Zuko was fighting the guilt inside him, knowing that tonight, he had stepped down a dark path that would surely haunt him forever.


End file.
